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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

C. L. HOUGHTON & W. 1. FOX. AUTOMATIC SAFETY DEVICE FOR RAILWAY SWITCHES.

No. 350,198. Patented Oct. 5, 1886.

Phum-Liihngnpilcr. Washxnglall, n.- c

(No Model.) I 2 SheetsSheet '2. O. L. HOUGHTON & W. I. FOX. AUTOMATIC SAFETY DEVICE FOR RAILWAY SWITGHES. No. 350,198.

Patented Oct. 5, 1886.

N. PETERS, Piwmun nwv Washin ton, D. c.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICEo CHARLES L. HOUGHTON, CF NElV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, AND \VASHING- TO\ IRVING FON, OF FITCHBURG, MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMATIC SAFETY DEVICE FOR RAILWAY-SWITCHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 350,198, dated October 5, 1886.

Application filed July 20, 1886. Serial No. 208517. (No model.)

- nect the switch-rails, as usual.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, CHARLES L. HOUGH- TON, of New Haven, in the State of Connecticut, and \VASHINGTON IRVING Fox, of Fitchburg, in the State of lilassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Automatic Safety Devices for Railwayswitchcs, of which the following is a specification.

This improvement is designed for resetting automatically the switch to the main line as soon as the last car passes off the main line upon the siding, so that the attendant can open the switch and allow the train to commence to pass thercinto, and then he can leave said switch and it will be locked open until the last car passes into and off the switch, and then the switch will be automatically shifted, closing the siding, and the uninterrupted mainline track restored.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the tracks and connections. Fig. 2 is a section in larger size at the line 0010, and Fig. 3 is a section in similar size at the line yy. Fig. 4- is a section in similar size at the line z z.

The switch-stand A is usually a casting, and in it is a vertical shaft, 1, with a crank, 2, and connecti ng-rod 3 to the crank-arm 4 on the rockcr-shat't 5. There is a second crank or arm, 6, upon the rocker-shaft 5, and links 7 to the switch-rails B. This switch 13 maybe what is termed a point-switch, as shown, or it may be a stub-switch, in which two rails are moved and come opposite to the ends ofthc rails of the main or siding tracks. The switchrods 8 con- The lever 10 is upon the rock-shaft 5, and it is provided with a weight, 11, that is lifted when the switch is opened to or set for the siding, and it descends by gravity to move the switch and restore the main-linc rails.

The vertical shaft 1 usually extends above the switch-stand, and is provided witha visual signalgvhich may be of any desired character, and upon this shaft 1 is astock, 14, having ajaw, in which. is pivoted the handle 15. This handle usually hangs vertically below the pivot 16, so as not to interfere with the movement of the shaft 1; but when the switch-tender opens the switch to the siding he swings this handle up horizontal, and it becomes a lever with which to turn the shaft 1 and open the switch, and by raising this handle after the switch is opened the inner end, 17, of said handle is swung down into a notch upon the switch-stand, so that the switclrtender is re lieved from concussion or strain; but as soon as the switch-tender lets go of the handle it drops, and the parts are liberated, so that the weight 11 will return the switch to its normal position and restore the main-line rails as soon as the other parts of the apparatus permit this to be done.

The turnout rails are shown at C; and D is a guard-rail parallel to the outer turn-out rail, and between the turn-out rail and the guard-rail is a fiangeplate, F. This is in the form of a bar, either of wood or metal, usually of oak, with a steel plate on the top, and the ends of this flange-plate are preferably inclined, and the opposite faces of the turn-out rail and guardrail. should be filled in, so that the flange-plate may be free to be raised or depressed between the said turnout and guard rails, and this flange-plate is about the same length as the guardrail, and there are vertical slides, 20, below the flangeplat-e, jointed at their lower ends to the bent lever 21. These are pivoted at 22 upon the cross-ties, and their upper ends connected by the rods 23 to the crank-arm 24 upon the locking-shaft 25. This looking shaft runs from near the switch-stand to the distant end of the flange-plate, and there are upon the locking-shaft arms and weights 31, and it will be now apparent that these weights 31 act to elevate the flange-plate F, and when a train is switched off upon the siding the flanges of the wheels will run over and depress the flange-plate F, and this flangeplate will move up and down, as a whole, in consequence of the locking-shaft 25 being rotated by the levers, when the wheels of the the train may run upon either end of the flange-plate, and the length of this flange plate is to be sufficient to reach from one wheel of the train to the next, so that said flangeplate will always be depressed while a train is passing off upon the siding, and as soon as the train passes clear of the flange-plate the weight 31 will partially turn the lockingshat't 25 and again raise the flangeplate even with the top of the rails, or nearly so.

XVe make use of the motion given to the lock- IOO ing-shaft 25 for operating a bolt, 40, that locks the switch open to the siding, and by its with drawal allows the weight 11 to close the switch. The bolt may be of any desired charactor; but we prefer to employ a spring, 41, to lift the bolt, and a bent lever, 42, on a pivot, 43, with links 44 to thearm 45 on the shaft 25, as the means for forcing down the said bolt 40, and these links 44 should be provided with adjusting devices to regulate the proper position of the parts.

When the switch isheld open by the switchtender, as before described, and the train runs upon the siding, it is only necessary for the man to hold the lever 15 until the flanges depress the flange-plate F, because in so doing the locking-shaft is partially rotated, the weights 31 raised, and the arm 45, link 44, and bent-lever 42 moved so that the bolt 40 is raised, and, coming at one side of the switchbar, holds the switch open, and as soon as the train runs off the flange-plate the weights 31 descend and turn the locking-shaft and the parts connected therewith, so that the bolt is withdrawn, and the switchmails are restored to the main line automatically by the descent of the weight 11.

\Ve claim as our invention 1. The combination, with the main line, switch, and siding, of the switchstand, shaft and connection for moving the switch, and a bolt for holding the switch when open, a flangeplate, locking-shaft, and lever-connection between the flange-plate and locking-shaft, and lever-connection to the locking-bolt of the switch, a lever-arm and weight that is raised in opening the switch, and lever-arms and weights connected to the locking-shaft, which are raised when the train depresses the flangeplate, and which weights withdraw the locking-bolt when the train passes clear of the flange-plate, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination,with the main line, siding, and switch, of mechanism for operating the switch, a spring-bolt to lock the switch open, aflange-plate, alocking-shat't,lever-arnis, connecting-rods and bent levers for moving the locking-shaft by the depression of the flange-plate, weight for moving the locking- Joly, A. D. 

